Efficient Single Photon Emission and Collection Based on Excitation of Gap Surface Plasmons

Combining the advantages of ultrahigh photon emission rates achievable in the gap surface plasmon polaritons with high extraction decay rates into low-loss nanofibers, we demonstrate theoretically the efficient photon emission of a single dipole emitter and one-dimensional nanoscale guiding in metallic nanorod-coupled nanofilm structures coupled to dielectric nanofibers. We find that total decay rates and surface plasmon polariton channel decay rates orders of magnitude larger than those characteristic of metallic nanofilms alone can be achieved in ultrastrong hot spots of gap plasmons. For the requirement of practical applications, propagating single photons with decay rates of 290 gamma(0)-770 gamma(0) are guided into the phase-matched low-loss nanofibers. The proposed mechanism promises to have an important impact on metal-based optical cavities, on-chip bright single photon sources and plasmon-based nanolasers.